Dog Days
by kasey1939
Summary: Sequel to Dog Wild - Now that Kenzi has gone through all her changes now she needs to learn how to live her new life and the last thing she needs is Fae problems but that's exactly what she gets. Now that there's a new pack in town she needs to learn everything she can as quick as she can if she wants to stay with Dyson.
1. Chapter 1

Dog Days

Bo sat in the Dal trying not the mope and knew from the worried looks being sent her way by Trick that she was failing miserably. She missed Kenzi... and Dyson, she understood why they were always together now but she still ached to see them again. It had been explained to her that she shouldn't be around her bestie until she had better control of her new wolf but after a week of separation she felt really bad for them. They must miss her just as bad being out there all alone with nothing to do and no one to talk to but each other.

"Come on D-man I'm dying over here." Dyson worked hard to keep the smile he felt tugging at his lips at bay.

"Kenzi, you aren't tired."

"Uh, yeah I am. My body I think I'd know."

"No, your mind tells you that you should be tired so you think you are. You aren't human any more!"

It had been a little over a week since her change and now they were in the woods on the outskirts of town working on her control and stamina. She was a shifter now but her mind was still imposing human limitations on her now less than human body.

"One... one break?"

"No! Now pick up the pace!" He knew he was coming across as harsh, but he knew that all she needed was one break through. All she had to do was call on her wolf once when her life wasn't on the line and then the two would merge easily. For that to happen he had to push her to her limits, and then push her even farther.

"You sadist!"

Lochlan stared down at the papers on his desk studiously ignoring the human doctor hovering just outside the door of his office humming with nervous energy. He still had not forgiven the mouthy little twit for speaking of Light Fae business with her unaligned lover. He had given her punishment a great deal of thought and had decided to just ignore her for a time. Nothing he devised would torment her as much as her thoughts were at the moment, she was a nervous wreck wondering what he would do to her when he finally made a decision, and it was very entertaining. Fixing a scowl on his face he looked up quickly and barked "What?" in his most intimidating voice and fought hard to suppress his laughter as he watched her jump and scurry away like a rodent.

Trick shook his head muttering softly to himself as he wiped down his bar and tried to block out the brooding of his grand-daughter. Bo had taken to glaring into her beer here whenever Lauren was otherwise occupied and it took all he had not to snap at her to go home. He knew she missed Kenzi but they all knew she would be safe with Dyson so he didn't understand her attitude. Glancing her way once more he found no change and sighed before attacking the bar with more force. He couldn't wait for this whole mess to come to an end. Maybe then his constant headache would go away. Stealing another covert look at Bo somehow he doubted that would be the case.

Lauren sat in her lab to rattled to actually work and tried to calm her heart rate down. She wished Lochlan would just settle on a punishment and get it over with already the waiting and not knowing was killing her. Turning her thoughts to something else she thought about the last week she'd spent with Bo, to say it has been strained would be an understatement. She only hoped that when Kenzi returned everything would get back to the way it was before, but somehow she just didn't see that happening.

Dyson stood outside the cabin he was sharing with Kenzi and took a deep breath letting his wolf rise to the surface searching for the scent he caught earlier. Finding it he closed his eyes and concentrated on placing it. Wolf, more than one, and not any he'd ever come across before. There was an unknown pack in his territory.

Marcus looked out at his packmates as they looked around their new home, getting their barings, this was not their usual place they tended to avoid other fae as much as possible, choosing to stay in forest and woodland areas instead. Only big events ever made them change their ways, like the call of an Omega. He didn't know how an Omega wolf had come to be, all he knew was that a week before he felt it deep in his chest. A calling. His instincts reacted immediately and he and his pack began the slow journey here to the side of the new Omega. He'd consulted Mystics along the way, many of whom knew little more than he did; only one really had anything new to tell him.

"The girl is not alone. She has another wolf at her side. A lone wolf. A protector."

A lone wolf was no protector, no competition. He would find this Omega, this girl, and bring her into his pack where she belonged.

Dyson stood in the Dahl trying to calm his instincts that were rioting at being so far from Kenzi for any reason, especially with an unknown pack in the area. He'd dropped Kenzi, his mate, at the club house to give her space to reconnect with Bo while he spoke with Trick and Lochlan about the new pack he'd sensed. When Trick first told him that Lochlan would be there he'd been wary at first, but the more he thought about their recent history, the more it made sense. Lochlan adored Kenzi, saw her as an adorable puppy, if his actions and reactions were anything to go by, of course he would want to be informed of any possible threat to her.

"Are they a threat?" Had been the Ash's first question. Straight to the point as always, and with the possible danger the Kenzi he could respect that.

"Physically? No. They can't hurt her. What they can do is take her away."

"What?"

"If they can convince her to become part of their pack then when they leave, she would go to." The very thought of it, saying it out loud giving it voice and power, made his shudder.

"How do they do that?"

"To become part of a pack... it has everything to do with instinct meeting need. Every wolf has the instinct to be part of a pack but packs don't accept just any wolf that's where the need comes in. Every wolf has some skill that sets them apart as something weather it's a hunter, gatherer, tracker, or even homemaker, and every pack is a balance of these never having too many of any one skill set. Kenzi as a new wolf will be more susceptible to her instincts, and those will be telling her that she needs a pack for kinship, for protection. If this new pack can get to her and prove themselves worthy then she may willingly join them even if that means leaving us."

"Well what skills does an Omega have? Maybe this pack won't even need her." Dyson could hear the hope in Tricks voice and hated to crush it but they all needed to be aware of the reality of the situation if they were going to prevent disaster.

"An Omega is not a normal wolf it has the ability to affect the emotions of the wolves around it. Turn fury into peace, but it can only diffuse situations not enflame them. They are sacred to wolves like Seers are to the Fae."

All three men stood silently trying to come up with some solution, yet finding none.

"Well, I for one don't intent to give up. There must be a way to keep Kenzi safe with us. Who's with me?" Trick intoned with the same energy of hope and determination he held before they faced the Garuda. A come what may, I will do what's right no matter the cost attitude.

"I'm in!" Dyson immediately answered as though there were ever any other option for him.

"As am I. I've been here since the start may as well see it through." With that less than endearing pleadge from Lochlan the three came to a gentleman's agreement that they would fight for Kenzi until they had exhausted every option available, and hell maybe even past that point if the mood struck them to do so. Dyson couldn't be more grateful because with such powerful allies on his side he stood a far better chance of keeping his mate where she belonged, at his side.


	2. Chapter 2

"Marcus?"

Marcus looked up at the young wolf that had approached him. He thought about getting angry, but then thought better of it. Ever since the call of the Omega had begun the entire pack had been on edge. Snapping at each other for no reason, alpha and pack leader he needed to lead by example now and keep his calm. But there had better be a damn good reason for this interruption while he was planning their first move.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering, well actually we were wondering what our next move is gonna be sir? I mean do you think this protector even knows we're here?"

He knew this lone wolf protector must know they're here by now, if he's worth anything at all as a wolf he would have smelled them when they crossed the border into his territory. He, no they, needed to find out as much as they could about this wolf and quickly before he made the first move for them.

Dyson made his way from the Dahl towards the "clubhouse" to get Kenzi. She told him nearly a dozen times on the way over that he didn't have to come get her that she was perfectly capable of making her way to his apartment on her own. Even the thought of her walking so far unprotected had made his heart stutter in his chest.

He'd had to remind himself that she didn't know about the new threat yet so he used her hard won control as an excuse for his being by her side so much now that they were back in town. He'd told her that her control was perfect when it was just the two of them, but that she hadn't been tested in a crowd yet and until she could prove she wouldn't lose her temper and accidentally hurt someone he would stay nearby.

He'd taken off extra time from work so that she wouldn't be alone when the new pack made its first appearance. He planned to tell her about this new problem when they were safely back in his apartment, where she panicked into a forced shift she could do so without fear of being seen by humans. He just hoped that her little reunion with Bo didn't stress her out too much.

Bo was another problem all together. She seemed determined not to understand that he and Kenzi were together now. When he'd dropped Kenzi off before heading to the Dahl Bo had flirted with him like nothing had changed and kept talking about Kenzi moving back in with her now that she was back. Hopefully Kenzi had helped her see the truth without losing her grip on her control. If she hadn't then... he would handle it. Kenzi was his mate now and nothing would get in the way of that.

So in the next few days he needed to test Kenzi's control in a crowd, fend off a rival pack, make sure Bo wasn't going to become another threat to the two of them, and tell Kenzi how he felt about her while she was awake to hear it. He'd told her several times already that he loved her but she'd always been asleep when he did, less chance of rejection that way. Oh yeah this was gonna be one of those weeks.

Bo couldn't believe what she was hearing. She'd been so excited when Kenzi and Dyson had walked in, but now? Kenzi was leaving her to be with Dyson? Were they insane?

"You and Dyson don't even have anything in common, well other than me."

"Yeah you, and the whole wolf thing. What can I say, we're fur friends now."

Kenzi tried to keep the tone of the conversation light and joking. She'd known that Bo wouldn't take the whole her living with Dyson thing well but this was teetering on the side of the ridiculous here; they'd been talking about nothing else for nearly an hour. It was like Bo couldn't even fathom why she would need to live with Dyson now. Like she thought that a couple days in the woods would cure her and when she got back everything would go back to the way it had been before the Norn.

Bo wanted to go back to silly human sidekick Kenzi who tagged along after her while she bounced between wolfman and the doc. She was stubbornly refusing to accept that things were changing.

"No."

"No? Bo what are you talking about? No what?"

"No, you aren't going to live with Dyson. You're going to live here with me like always."

"Bobo, this whole thing we've been doing for the past hour. That wasn't me asking permission that was we telling you what's happening and now we've talked about it so much I'm running late and I need to pack the rest of my stuff before Dyson gets back from seeing Trick."

Kenzi got up from the couch and moved to walk around her bestest friend and head for the stairs and her old room. When Bo's hand wrapped around her wrist she froze in her tracks. What the?

"Bobo?"

"You aren't leaving."

"Yeah just because you say it in that tone of voice doesn't make it true. Let go of me I have to get my stuff packed up."

She tried to laugh it off but there was something about Bo's voice when she'd declared that Kenzi wasn't leaving. She'd heard that tone before in her life, many times in fact, and every time it singled the start of something bad. Giving an experimental tug she realized Bo wasn't letting go, and the look in her glowing eyes said she had no intention of changing her mind about it either.

"Bo?"

"You aren't leaving me!"

Dyson was just outside the clubhouse when he heard the sound of something crashing into the wall. Not even stopping to think about it he rushed inside preying that Kenzi was okay. What he saw when he rounded the corner though stopped him in his tracks. Bo had a partially transformed Kenzi pinned to the wall by her neck, her other hand was holding Kenzi's transformed claws away from her face. What the hell was going on?

"Bo! Kenzi! Stop this both of you!" Taking a step forward intent on helping Bo restrain Kenzi stopped short when he saw her blue glowing eyes. When he'd first arrived he'd assumed that Kenzi had gotten a little overly emotional and lost control but now he wasn't so sure of that. While she was partially transformed she seemed to be in complete control of her actions, while Bo seemed almost crazed.

Rushing forward he grabbed Bo by the shoulder and used all his strength to throw her back away from Kenzi. He heard her crash into the far wall but stayed forcused on Kenzi checking her for injuries.

"Are you alright? What happened?"

"We need to get out of here. She's freaking lost it."

Not wanting to argue and give Bo the chance to attack again he grabbed Kenzi and pulled her outside towards the Dahl. They needed to find Trick, if anyone would know what was happening to Bo and what to do about it, it would be him.

Marcus found his way to the way station of this town with only his second with him to bear witness. He'd thought about just challenging this Dyson outright, but then he'd thought better of it. He and his pack would observe all the traditions and follow all the laws so that no one could possibly claim misconduct later and take the Omega from them.

Stepping inside he found the place empty except for the proprietor and a man he knew to be the Ash of this territory. They both looked up as he entered and sized him up in an instant.

"Can I help you?"

"I have come to declare my intention to challenge the wolf shifter called Dyson for the right of protection over the new Omega in his possession."

The Ash opened his mouth to answer him when the door behind him flew open and in raced the wolf shifter in question and the Omega he protected.

"Trick something's wrong with Bo, she's attacking us!"

Trick looked back and forth between Dyson and this new wolf he didn't know trying to come up with some way this situation could be rectified. Glancing back at Lochlan he saw his own thoughts mirrored in his eyes. This was not good. Not good at all.


	3. Chapter 3

Kenzi looked around the room and knew something was wrong. Well, more wrong than her best friends like trying for really reals to kill her. When they'd come rushing in it was like Trick had been facing off against these two strangers and in the world of the fae that was never a good sign.

"What do you mean Bo is attacking you?" Right one crisis at a time. No need to invent problems when they already had so many coming for them as it was.

"When I told Bo I was leaving to live with Dyson she like totally lost her shit Trickster. She attacked me screaming about how I couldn't leave her. She was like really trying to hurt me, not just mild hurt either we're talking six feet under hurt."

Dyson knew that Bo probably wouldn't have been able to hurt Kenzi as bad as she thought, but Kenzi still hadn't merged with her wolf so she was still seeing things with human limitations. He knew who the two men in the bar were, he recognized their scent, and he needed to get Kenzi alone so he could explain everything to her before the wolves made their play. Hopefully being attacked by an enraged fully powered succubus would be enough of a distraction that he would be able to do that.

"We need to barricade the doors Trick buys us some time to come up with a plan." Trick nodded obviously understanding what he wanted.

"You two help me with these!" This was his way station there was no way the strangers could refuse the request in such circumstances without taking a serious misstep and burning a bridge they really couldn't afford to burn at the moment.

"While they're doing that you and I need to talk Kenz."

Taking her arm he led her towards the back where Trick kept his office. He would have preferred to use the private rooms beneath but didn't dare in case the other wolves followed him.

"D-man what is your deal-eo right now we're at like defcon twelve thousand with my ex bestie and your just ... ex. We don't really have time for any long speeches."

"Kenzi just listen to me. I was going to tell you about this once we'd gotten back to my place but this situation has forced my hand. Those two men out there are wolf shifters like us. They're here for you, to try and make you part of their pack. Now since you already have someone, me, that means that one of them is going to challenge me to try and prove I'm not a fit protector for you. Now if he wins that fight your instincts are going to start screaming at you that you need to go with him, to find someone stronger, to be somewhere safer."

Kenzi started backing away from him shaking her head in denial tears streaming down her face.

"No! No way, this place, you guys, we're family and I'm not just gonna leave all that behind because of one stupid fight. A fight that I might add you are not gonna lose. You're Dyson, you're badass, you dominate."

"Kenzi listen to me. You are a new wolf your instincts rule you about ninety percent of the time right now. You have come a long way with your control but if I lose this fight it might not be far enough to keep you here. I am telling you this for two reasons. One so that if it does happen you won't be caught off guard and confused. Two so that you will know with every fiber in my being that if you leave I will come find you. As long as there is still breathe in my body I will never abandon you."

"Why?" Her voice was small, broken, and afraid. She understood what he was saying and she didn't like it. She hadn't been afraid of the whole Bo thing because she knew that Dyson, Trick, and Hale would all have her back no matter what. If she lost that, lost them, she'd be alone. Again.

"Because... because I love you. There I said it I finally said it while you were awake to hear it. I love you and I will never leave you unless you tell me to. You. Not your instincts. Now I have to go help Trick with Bo I'm gonna send Lochlan back here to stay with you. Being the Ash he can't be in the fight so you two stay together and we'll talk more when I get back I promise."

Leaning down he captured her mouth with his in one fierce kiss that sent little shocks all the way down to her toes then all the way back up to her lips again. With that he turned and headed back out into the bar.

Lochlan found Kenzi pacing the room frantically. It was a miracle that she actually stopped and turned rather than just walking straight through the wall.

"He kissed me. I can't believe he kissed me then he just... left. Who the hell participates in an earth shattering, angels singing, bells ringing, hallelujah kiss then just walks off to fight with... with Bo-zilla."

She looked up at him her pale blue eyes searching his face like he somehow held all the answers she needed. He didn't but he did know one thing.

"So he finally told you he loved you huh, and kissed you as well. That can only mean one thing. I win the bet."

"Bet? What bet?"

"Oh, Trick and I made a little wager a few weeks back on which of you love birds would own up the your feelings for each other first. Trick thought that since you were both human and a girl you would be the first to crack, but I didn't think so. I went with Dyson saying it first. You may have lived a human life but you're still tough as nails. Plus all your days as a grifter no way you'd show your hand first. He not only said it he showed it so I win."

Normally he wouldn't have put it exactly like that, but the more he talked the angrier she became, the angrier she became the more her wolf rose to the surface. She needed that wolf, if she wanted a snowballs chance in hell of having any control over her actions she needed to merge with her wolf and the sooner the better.

"You bet on my love life?"

"Yes, didn't I just say so and as usual you're missing the point. The important thing isn't that we placed the bet, not the important part is how did we know to bet on it at all?"

"How?" The wolf was so close now her voice was becoming less human more growl. He had to admit for a baby wolfling it was an impressive sound.

"Easy. We could see it from the start. How afraid he was for you, how protective, how in love. You were a little harder to figure out. Then again you fought it more, my guess would be out of some miss placed loyalty to the succubus currently laying siege. You fought tooth and nail but in the end you were just as besotted as he was. We saw it and honestly I thought the two of you would have had this whole mess worked out and out of the way before you ever came back from your little camping trip. So tell me how does it feel? Having a mate I mean?"

There it was that did it. Human and wolf were finally beginning to merge.

Mate? Dyson was her mate? Yeah, somehow that made since, it felt right deep down. For a second when the wolf began to rise Kenzi was confused and slightly panicked. She thought she might be losing control and she didn't want to unintentionally hurt Lochlan. Not only was he a sorta friend, but he was also the leader of the Light Fae and hurting him would just be bad.

Then she felt it the wolf wasn't trying to take over it was trying to ... share. It felt the same things she did at the realization that Dyson was theirs. Fear and rage. Their mate their man was in trouble. Was fighting for his life for their life together and she was cowering in a backroom like some sort of weak squishable human. She wasn't human, not anymore; she could help now, hell she could fight now. And fight she would hell hath no fury like a woman whose man was in danger. Or something like that.

Walking towards the door she paused for a moment to look back at Lochlan.

"Stay here." With that she walked out to join the battle in the other room.

Lochlan was old, powerful, and revered. He was secure in his power and yet when Kenzi had looked at him with her wolfs eyes he'd felt true fear slide down his spine. He pitied any who got in her way because she was a woman on a mission.

Bo had finally been restrained. Half the bar had been destroyed and everyone was bleeding but they'd finally managed to get her under control. Trick still hadn't explained what the hell had happened but he knew better than to ask. As it was he knew it was breaking the old man's heart to have to lock her away like he was but it was the only thing they could do until they could help her come back to her senses. He was just turning to go find Kenzi when a voice behind him stopped him.

"Dyson, lone wolf and protector of the Omega I challenge you for your rights of protection. Do you accept?"

He was hurting all over, he'd been injured pretty badly in his fight with Bo, but he knew he had to accept the challenge. If he didn't then that mean he would forfeit his rights of protection. While that wouldn't mean that this new wolf would automatically gain Kenzi it did mean it would leave his mate without proper protection and he couldn't allow that. Not now not ever.

"Challenge accepted."

He turned just in time to see the other mans clawed hand arching towards him. He didn't have time to block it so he braced for the hit. But the blow never landed. Looking over he saw Kenzi her hand on the other man's wrists immobilizing him and stopping his strike.

"Don't even think about it."

"Kenzi what?"

Then he saw it, her eyes. She and her wolf had become one in defense of him. Her mate. He couldn't keep the smile from his face as she shoved the man back away from them.

"You aren't welcome here. I don't need a new pack I already have what I need. Take your friend and go."

He watched the man struggle with a decision but it was against their laws to force an Omega so he didn't really have a choice she'd made her decision. He watched the two turn and leave as he grabbed Kenzi's arm to swing her around to face him.

"So I guess this means you love me to?"

"I guess you're right."

With that she grabbed his neck and pulled him down for another kiss that rocked his very foundation.

Trick and Lochlan watched with identical smiles on their faces. Finally they were together.

"He told her first so I still win."

"Yes, of course don't worry Lochlan I always honor my bets."


End file.
